Rigging methods

[centralohiosportsman]

I was just wondering what everyone's favorite method is for catfishing with live or cut bait. Which do you like better? I've never used live bait before so I'm going to try to use some different methods next time I go out.

[banksidebandit]

Live bait for flatheads and cut bait for channels usually. Sometimes I use medium sized creek chubs for channels but normally cut bait. I've caught flatheads on cut bait but not as many. One night I caught 5 while using bluegill heads and leaches. Bring both and use both to see what works.

When bottom rigged I hook the live bait from the bottom side so they can swim naturally and not upside down. When bobber rigged I hook live bait from the top right below the dorsel fin. I also hook live baits in the snout sometimes so when you reel them in it's not ripping their gills off.

My normal rig is main line-sinker-bead-swivel-leader-hook. For drifting I use Santee rig with a peg float and sometimes use a blade with beads by the hook that Skyline mentioned to me.

[bassmassey]

probably the most common rig that alot of people use is the carolina rig. Weight on your mainline, bead, swivel, 12" leader to hook. If I could recommend not purchasing the lil orange beads they sell in the fishing dept. as they will beat your knot up harder then your lead weight will. I like the slightly oversized bead from the craft department, they slide over the knot and rest on the swivel and give better knot protection. They are a whole lot cheaper too as anything you buy that is marketed toward fishing is gonna be jacked up...

[mexicanthreat]

More often then not I use a hook unweighted. Works great for slow drifting in shallow water with a large chunk of cutbait. When i use livebait i usually hook underneath just behind the gutsack, I like to keep the line with just enough slack to let the bait swim freely but keep an eye on it. When using cutbait I throw out both lines and let them drift quite a ways out. with out any weight on the line the fish dont realize there is a problem and it can be hard to tell when you have a bite. The only time i throw a weight on is in higher current to hold the bait down or higher winds that push the boat faster. But I mostly fish lakes. So current isnt usually an issue. Hope this helps. This is the way I love to fish. But If your shore fishing and try it lighter line is necessary for distance.

[bassmassey]

as far as hooking bait.........live or cutbait I mostly always hook all of my baits through the hard part of their nose usually 100% of the time.

[banksidebandit]

I never really tried fishing with no weights Mexicanthreat. Do you tight-line it or run your clicker when anchored? Or do you always drift? I have noticed that while lake fishing, if I throw out a larger weight it seems that you get a lot more "bites" and not runs. I've been using smaller weights in lakes like a 1/2oz-3/4oz barrel, but never tried no weights. I'll definitely be giving it a try, I always like to try something new.

[mexicanthreat]

Whats a clicker? You cant really tight line it, but the same principle. The only time i anchor is in wind. ive always tried as small of weight as possible to avoid detection. While drifting last fall their was hardly ever a runner. and the bites looked more like bottom bouncing. it wasnt until i started holding both poles that i realized most of em were bites. my numbers on a normal night went from 4 to 14 for a three hour trip. and usually 2 to 3 10+ each night.

[banksidebandit]

Clicker is what I've always called the "bait runner" or where the spool is open and it clicks when line is pulled out. It's on baitcast reels. Kinda hard to explain I guess I've just always known it as a clicker lol. You'd have to be drifting pretty slow to keep your bait down with no weights I'de imagine. Maybe I'm missing fish when I'm drifting because I'm waiting for them to really take the bait and bow my rods.

[Catfishrollo]

I mainly use livebaits for flatheads. However, cutbaits can and do work well at times also for them. Esp. in early spring and late fall I love to use them. I run free spool and baitclicker most of the time. I know alot of guys that use cutbaits all season and swear by it. However, I think every fishery is different and what might work in one area, may not be as productitve in another. If I used nothing but cuts in a few sections I fish, Id be fighting off channel cats the entire night. It pretty much comes down to learning your water, experimenting alot of different methods in that area, and letting the results tell you what is working best for ya! Thats my opinion.. rollo

[Skyline1506]

you really dont need much weight at all to drift unless you are in super deep water

carolina rig 100% of the time for non moving presentations

[katfish]

I fish for flathead in lakes so I keep rigging as simple as possible.



I snell the hooks so there are no knots in the whole rig.



I always inspect rigs before fishing so I don't need beads or swivels.



30 # test mainline so I don't need leader.

There are lots of leader options but I can rig bobber rigs for flathead with absolutely
no knots in the main line. Fishing in current is possible without a swivel or separate leader also.

[Skyline1506]

simple is always better less chance for failure. the simpler the better! nice post robby

[centralohiosportsman]

Wow, all great info guys. I'm definitely going to put in a whole bunch of hours on the water in the next couple months to experiment. I've never fished for them with Carolina rig before so ill be sure to try that on a pole or two. ( I usually use 4 poles or so) I've also never fished live bait so ill be sure to try that out as well. Also Mexican threat, I have done pretty well on weightless set ups or small weight set ups as well. The only way I fished them last year was with a perfect worm (type of weighted hook for plastic bass lures) and I had a ton of success with it. I would just set it on the bottom with cut bait or chicken breast. My brother and I had a couple 30 fish nights last year and many over 20. I haven't tried any other method yet so I'm really excited to get out there and try these out. I mostly do my channel cat fishing with a regular bass pole and never had any problems. I still don't really know where to find flatheads but I'm going to work on that this year too. Thanks for all the info everyone! Ill be sure to post my results in the fishing report section once things start firing up!

[centralohiosportsman]

katfish awesome pictures. Ill be sure to hook a couple through the tail and a couple through the snout and see which one I do better with

[hunted]

For channels in lakes I use the carolina rig mostly, if fishing from the bank. Weight usually depends on what part of the lake I am at and how far I need to cast. I use up to two ounces. Using cut bait, I rarely have any problems with a fish not taking off with it. I also use shimano baitrunners, which the bait runner tension can be adjusted, and they are very easy to pull on the lightest setting. And like mexicanthreat said, light line, i use a nine foot master custom striker, and recently got a seven foot ugly stick i am trying out, with twelve pound mono. Casts very well and awful far. I run a swivel with about a 12 inch leader to a 6/0 gamma circle hook. I like a swivel with cut bait because the bait can twist in the water either with current or reeling it in.

Flats I use a carolina rig. Depending on what size of bait depicts what size of sinker. Carolina rig with a 10/0 gamma circle. Or a slip bobber rig. I am not an accomplished flat fisherman by any means, but those two methods are the ones that has treated me the best.